


Sapphires and Starlight

by MaritheFangirl



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Can be read platonic or romantic, F/M, Gen, Hugs, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29248635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaritheFangirl/pseuds/MaritheFangirl
Summary: Jester visits Essek to explain that they’re leaving again soon to Nicodranas, and comes with apologies, revelations, and promises.Spoilers Episode 124
Relationships: Jester Lavorre & Essek Thelyss, Jester Lavorre/Essek Thelyss
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	Sapphires and Starlight

“Essek?”

Jester knocked on the door to his chambers, feeling the eyes of two Aurora Watch members on her. She was undeterred, and waited until the door swung open.

“Jester, I—” Essek glanced behind her, realizing she wasn’t with the Nein.

“Can I come in?”

He blinked once, before nodding. He floated backwards, allowing her to step past him and into the room. He gave a nod to the guards, before shutting the door.

Moving his hands in a fluid motion, and arcane symbols lit up across the door, silencing it.

“Is there something you needed?” Essek asked cautiously, still staring at the door and away from her.

Jester scuffed her foot against the floor, “Well, I came to tell you that we were leaving. Caleb is going to teleport us to Nicodranas.”

Essek nodded slowly, turning around to face her, but still didn’t quite meet her eyes.

“It’s beautiful there, isn’t it?” Jester asked with a dreamy grin, tilting her head.

“It is,” he said softly, eyebrows pinching together, perhaps thinking about the last time he was there—the party, seeing through his disguise, the confrontation…

“I think there’s someone there who’s super powerful and can help us,” Jester told him, pulling him from being lost in his own thoughts.

“That’s good, you’ll need all the help you can get,” his voice came out weak.

The chambers were silent for a moment, as Essek hovered, hands clasped in front of him.

“So, you are leaving soon, was there anything else?” he prompted.

“I’m so sorry, Essek.”

“Sorry?” he asked, confused.

“Well, we come here and put you in danger, we never meant to do that. We’ve just been in danger for so long, with the Tomb Takers and the dragon, I wanted to be somewhere safe again.”

He shook his head, “No, _I’m_ sorry… I was—and am—so grateful to see you. We just seem to—”

“Attract trouble?” Jester guessed.

“Unfortunately,” he let out a long breath.

“And there was so much to explain, so much has happened. That’s a lot to put on you, y’know? When you already have so many problems of your own. So I wanted to say sorry.”

He held up a hand, “You have nothing to apologize for, Jester. My problems are my own, and I want to help you.”

“You have been a good friend,” he said more to himself than to her, “I will help in anyway I can.”

“That makes _you_ a good friend too,” Jester told him, stepping closer.

“You’re…kind,” he swallowed.

She held out her arms, cocking a brow, wiggling her fingers to invite him into a hug.

Essek was still for a moment, before some of the tension in his shoulders melted as he glided into her arms. Jester wrapped around him tightly, as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

She squeezed him, and heard his quiet, breathy laugh in her ear.

He pulled back, and she let him go, but he didn’t go far, staying close to her.

And for the first time since she came in, he looked at her, _really_ looked at her. She saw as his face turned to one of worry, eyes darting across her features, to her horns.

“Your horns are bigger,” he whispered, “Jester, you look…”

“Older?” she smiled, but it was strained, it was something sad.

“What happened to you?”

“Well, there was this really weird circles of statues, and they were like all different races or whatever and they had their arms up and down.”

She demonstrated the hand movements, “And we figured one of us should stand in the center, so we did boulder-parchment-shears for it—you’ve played before, right?”

“Uh, yes, I believe so, but what _happened_?” he insisted.

“I went into the center and heard these voices in my head, and they were like, ‘hey, you can ask us a question but if we do we’re going to take something’, so I asked what the Tomb Takers were trying to bring back and it’s the _city_. And then it felt really cold, and then I was a little older.”

“But I’m totally fine, it’s not a big deal,” she added quickly, trying for a smile.

“Jester,” Essek’s voice was usually very calm and reserved, but she could hear the tightness, “They stole that time from you. They had _no right_.”

The anger on her behalf clenched at her heart. She reached out and took his hands in hers. He stiffened at the contact, but didn’t pull away.

She shook her head, “It was worth it. I made a deal, and I learned about the city. I’d do it again if I had to.”

Squeezing his hands, a dark expression was fleeting on her face.

“We have to destroy the city,” she whispered, “I don’t know what they thought it would be, but it’s turned into something terrible.”

“You believe it cannot be saved, that it is warped beyond repair?” Essek asked, voice tight.

“It’s like _super_ crazy evil,” she insisted, “I don’t think it can ever be good. Maybe it never was, I don’t know.”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, “When I look at it, it feels awful, like it’s in pain and crying out. Or-or that it’s hunting and hungry and malicious. It’s _dangerous_.”

Interlocking her fingers with his, she continued, “It’s not like when you’re with a friend, or someone you trust, and you feel safe. It’s…everything that’s not. We _have_ to destroy it.”

“I…don’t know if such a thing is possible, I don’t know what we’re working with. But if there is a way, we’ll find it,” he gave her hands a quick squeeze back, making her smile.

“Thank you, Essek,” she whispered.

She looked down at their joined hands, “You’re freezing, y’know.”

“It is very cold up here,” he admitted, a smile tugging at his lips, “Even when we’re sheltered.”

Jester let his hands go, and glanced behind him to the door, “I think they’re waiting for me.”

“I won’t keep you,” Essek glided out of her way, and undid the Silence spell and locks on the door with a wave of his hand.

She smiled at him, “We’ll see you soon.”

As she started to head for the door, his voice stopped her.

“Be safe, okay?”

She turned around, “We will be.”

He smiled, eyes warm, but mixed with sadness, “No, you won’t.”

She laughed, “No. We won’t.”

She squinted her eyes at him, before darting up. Reaching up while standing on her tip-toes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Essek’s breath caught, white eyelashes dipped down. She pulled back, and patted the other side of his face. To her surprise, he leaned into her touch for a breath.

Jester smiled at him before leaving, the door swinging open for her, feeling a pang in her chest.

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by the comic @ inkforwords on twitter made!


End file.
